Writing Clinical Letters of Referral for Gender Affirming Medical Care

Your referral letter can be the bridge allowing a trans client to receive gender-affirming hormone replacement, surgery, or other medical procedures. This course shows you how, addresses key questions, and provides letter templates. 2 hours CE

Course description

In order for a transgender person to receive gender affirming medical care in the US, a letter from a licensed therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist is typically required. This puts mental health clinicians in the role of gatekeeper, often the critical deciding factor in whether a transgender person is able to receive the necessary services to live a tolerable life in the body and identity that feels comfortable for them.

This course will offer clinicians tangible tools for writing medical letters in support of a client’s gender alignment. Clinicians will gain an in-depth understanding about the letter writing process as well as the various instances where clinicians may be asked to write medical letters. Clinicians will also be provided medical letter templates for their use in their future work with transgender clients. For every clinician that identifies as an ally for the Transgender community, this course is necessary in order to expand your allyship and support as you may be the deciding factor in the medical transition of a transgender person.

2 hours CE. Recorded video (non-interactive) format

Learning objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Describe at least two elements of the importance of therapist letters of support for medical and non-medical gender transition
Identify at least two differences between the informed consent model and the diagnostic model of transgender care
Identify at least two types of letters therapists write in support of transgender clients
Outline at least four vital aspects of a therapist letter of referral

Course outline

1. History of Transgender Affirming Medical Services

2. Medically Necessary vs. Non-medically Necessary

3. Why Referral Letters Are Required from Therapists

4. Types of Referral Letters Required

a. Types of letters for medical processes

b. Types of letters for non-medical processes

5. Diagnostic vs. Informed Consent Models

a. Diagnostic Model

b. Informed Consent Model

c. Ethical Considerations

6. Writing Referral Letters

a. How To Decide to Write a Letter for a Client and Various Ways to Approach Care

b. When to Say “No” to Writing a Letter Now

c. WPATH Standards of Care

7. Scenarios to Consider

8. Other Instances for Writing Letters

9. Billing for Letter Writing Services

10. Wrap Up and Review

a. Template Letters

References.pdf

Instructor

Moe A. Brown, MS, LMFT

Moe Ari Brown, LMFT (they/he) is a Transgender Identified therapist, public speaker, and writer. He has almost a decade of experience working with clients who hold marginalized and intersecting identities (specifically within the LGBTQIA+ community) to develop Radical Authenticity within their lives. He is the founder of Transcendent Therapy and Consulting. There, he has contracted with universities, community mental health agencies, and other mental health organizations to provide continuing education about transgender affirming care. Previously an adjunct professor for graduate level clinicians, Moe remains dedicated to helping advance the mental health field’s role in transgender care, through public speaking and educating others on allyship.

Additional information

Format and Length:

Recorded video (non-interactive) format; Total running time 2 hours, 8 minutes

Topic Area:

Social and Cultural Competence

Instructional Level:

Intermediate

Completion Requirements:

To obtain your CE certificate, you must progress through all course segments, complete a satisfaction survey, and obtain a score of 80% or higher on a course completion quiz. Learners are expected to complete the quiz within a reasonable number of attempts, and may be blocked from completing the course and receiving their certificate if unable to do so.

Who Should Attend:

Psychologists, counselors, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and other mental health professions authorized by their states to write referral letters for trans clients to receive medical care.

Publication and Review Dates:

Course Published: June 4, 2021

Financial Support Statement:

SimplePractice pays course presenters for their teaching. There is no other financial support for this course.

Conflict of Interest Statement:

There is no potential conflict of interest or outside commercial support for this course.

Refund Policy:

Click here to see our policies on attendance, refunds, grievances, and accessibility, and other frequently asked questions. Click here to contact us or submit a grievance.

Contact Information:

For any inquiries related to subject matter guidance, correction, grading, comments, or problem resolution please contact us.

System Requirements:

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Continuing Education Approvals:

SimplePractice is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. SimplePractice maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course provides 2 hours of continuing education (2 CE credits) for psychologists.

SimplePractice has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6961. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. SimplePractice is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

SimplePractice, #1749, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Simple Practice maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 07/06/2021 – 07/06/2024. Social workers participating in this course will receive 2 continuing education credits in the Social and Cultural Competence topic area.

SimplePractice is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and LEPs (CAMFT CEPA provider #145276). SimplePractice maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 2 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

SimplePractice is approved as a Rule/Statute Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling. Note that we do not automatically report CE completion to CE Broker at this time, so certificates of completion must be manually uploaded. Click here for more information.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0582.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0030.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0091.

This course is not part of our continuing education program approved through NAADAC. Click here to view our complete CE approval information, or check out our collection of NAADAC approved courses.